Ralph Waldo Emerson

       Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most influential transcendental writers. His teachings through "Nature" and "Self-Reliance" serve as the building blocks of transcendental ideals as we know it. His writings show many examples of the previously mentioned elements of transcendentalism, optimism, self-reliance, individualism, and intuition. Below I have pulled quotes from Emerson in order to fully explain his impact on these topics.

Optimism

Optimism is the idea that nothing is all bad and there can be a positive outlook on a situation. So those really annoying people that are always happy and have an insanely positive outlook on life... God I cannot stand those people. Anyway that's optimism. In Emerson's "Nature" he says

     "The sun shines today also."-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature

Simple as this quote may be it says a lot. Emerson expresses optimism in this quote by expressing that the sun will come out today and tomorrow and the day after that. He is putting a positive outlook on life and saying that it will be a good day, just like yesterday and like tomorrow will be.

Self-Reliance

Self-reliance is relying your own abilities rather than those of other people in order to accomplish your goals. This is important to transcendentalism because it requires people to help themselves and make their own choices, rather than depending on society to tell them what is right or wrong. Emerson expresses this ideal when he states the following quote in "Self-Reliance"

          "Envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse"

                                                                                               -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

Again Emerson is able to convey the entirety of the ideal of self-reliance. This quote expresses that when we do not say true to ourselves but follow in the footsteps of others we are no longer ourselves. We must stay true to who we are and not rely on others no matter what. If we rely only on ourselves things will turn out for the better.

Individualism

Individualism is being yourself and different from those around you. We are all unique and that is a good thing. The transcendentalists believe that to be your own person was the greatest gift you could give to mankind. No one in history has ever or will ever think or act like you. We are all one of a kind and so there is only one lifetime for an individual to express their ideas and the thoughts that will only happen once. In Emerson's "Self-Reliance"he says...

               "Insist on yourself; never imitate."-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance 

Here he tells us that we must be true to who we are. As individuals we are so precious and to imitate someone else is to make yourself a fraud. You cannot be the person you were meant to be if you loose who you are along the way because you were so busy trying to be someone else.

Intuition

Intuition is knowing something by a feeling from within rather than by having experienced it. So basically instinct. This is important to transcendentalists because in order to be self-reliant one has to be able to trust themselves. and their decisions. In "Self-Reliance" Emerson states 

              “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” 

                                                                            -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

This quote tells us that our minds are an important power source and that we should trust it. Its "integrity" is its intuition and if we corrupt that integrity then our intuition is useless. 

Clearly Ralph Waldo Emerson created each building block with his words and because of it we can take to heart his teachings and use them to better ourselves.